URGENT!!! STOP THE CUTS - CALL AND EMAIL TODAY

[Guest guest]

IF YOU HAVE NOT CALLED OR EMAILED YET, PLEASE DO SO RIGHT NOW!

We need to make sure they hear us now. If you don't want your child's services cut CALL NOW! We need to fill their voice mails and thier emails.

Amended Action Alert 7 – Appropriations

By Kingsley Ross

The House and Senate conference committee dealing with services provided through the Agency for Persons with Disabilities has completed its work on the general appropriations act. They were unable to resolve several cut issues and these issues are now being “bumped†up to a higher level. People must act now if services to people with disabilities are going to avoid major reductions.

Background:

· The House and Senate leadership decided to essentially ignore federal matching funds that Congress is expected to enact before December 31, 2010. The loss of this revenue put the Senate’s cuts back on the table for consideration.

· At this point, the conferees have been unable to agree on how to resolve these cuts and the decisions are being deferred to two legislative leaders – Rep. and Sen. JD . These leaders will make their decisions by noon on Saturday April 24. Issues that are not resolved by these individuals will then be “bumped†to the Senate President and House Speaker.

· The current cuts being considered for people with developmental disabilities (DD) include the following:

Eliminate behavior assistance services in standard & behaviorally focused group homes

Reduce provider rates for most services by up to 5%

Reduce funding caps for Tiers 2,3, & 4 by 2.5%

Reduce the So FL geographic rate differential for Residential Habilitation Services by at least 3%

Reduce ICF/DD rates by 7%

· The cuts for Waiver services (1-4 above) are designed so that they can be added together. As a result individuals, whose costs plans are at the top of their tier, can experience more than a 10% reduction in services.

Action Needed:

Call or email the following legislators now – don’t wait (calls are best). Ask them to "Please don’t cut services to people with developmental disabilities". Services to people with developmental disabilities have been reduced by more than $100 million over the last few years. That is enough!

Name

Tallahassee Phone

Email Address

Sen. JD

alexander.jd.web@...

Rep.

david.rivera@...

Pres. Jeff Atwater

atwater.jeff.web@...

Speaker Larry Cretul

larry.cretul@...

Regards,

Ven Sequenzia

President

Autism Society of America

State of Florida Chapter

Regards,

Ven Sequenzia

President

Autism Society of America

State of Florida Chapter